Sunday, February 13, 2011

There is a huge misunderstanding that Bauls are beggars, they are only beggars for God/dess. We are all beggars in this world we are all begging for our survival, we are all begging for money, we all have to support ourselves and our families, it is often easier to pick out a marganalized group and point a finger but we are all Beggars. Bauls are beggars for Goddess, they sometimes completely forget about their material reality, artha. The world is rapidly changing and so do Bauls need to change, it is easy for someone to live in another country and say Bauls should stay the way they were, but the world is not supporting the way they were, they actually are suffering because Bauls are innocent and trusting, today people are so clever, it is easy to use the Bauls, take their music, and pose as a Baul, while the real Bauls suffer..

In the old days Bauls were offered dakshina or offering of gratitude to the Guru. Yes, Bauls were Guru's who dedicated their lives to pass on the most important spiritual knowledge of the Upanishads, Vedas, Yoga and Indian Philosophy. They provided deep inspiration to the people living in the rural villages of Bengal. Purna Das Baul was the first Baul who made sure Bauls recieved money for their songs for their performances. Although his father Nabani Das would be have been furious if you gave him money for his singing as he was a Baul Guru, it was automatic that he received Dakshina out of respect for his amazing knowledge and spontaneous healings, it was a way of respect, a way of being grateful. Bauls do not build temples or have not written books. This lineage of Bauls is an oral living parampara tradition. They do not preach a doctrine and collect devottee's. In my opionion they are more pure devotee's than the orthodox religious reformers of the past century because they were not as Britishized in their way of thinking. To a book educated person the Bauls may have appeared as lower than the reformers but if they understood Bauls were more original than themselves that they actually were the parampara the sampradaya. It is the new age Vaishnava who made up a parampara.

Purna Das Baul being the eldest saw how his mother Brajobala Dasi struggled to feed her children because Nabani Das was off wandering India healing others and feeding other children on his travels. Even when Purna Das Baul was 7 or 8 he noticed everybody making money off of the Bauls, and said why should the Bauls not be paid for what they do, they have families and the old ways of survival no longer work. Purna was an advocate of lifting the Bauls up. Bauls should be the only ones gaining from Baul, other people are making money by using the Bauls, he felt only Bauls should be profitting off of Baul. Bauls are wandering spiritual messengers they were the newspaper before they newspaper, they taught the science of life, how to achieve God while being in the human body, they had to know about all of life, how to be human and still be divine.

Purna Das Baul is the first Baul to sing on the trains in Bengal India. Now we see Bauls singing on trains in Bengal and all the credit for this goes to Purna Das Baul, he was the first before him nobody did this. This is history and how Purna Das came to Calcutta, one train stop, next train stop. He got the milk from Gopal Das Baul who married his sister Radharani Dasi, Gopal was the first Baul to play the Dotara and was the son of the Head Pujari of the Nityananda Temple in Ekkchaka. Purna Das Baul was given the milk by Gopal Das for free and served milk to the tea stall attendants, by doing this it was the only way he could enter the train station, otherwise he had no money to purchase a ticket to get in. Purna Das Baul struggled unbelievably to make a platform for the Bauls. He had to help his mother, he was the type of son who would not allow his mother to suffer, so he thought of ways to help her.. His father the Great Baul Saint Nabani Das Baul was of wandering helping to heal and feed everybody but as a Baul he sometimes forgot he had a family. Purna Das never asked for money or begged for money, it was his friends that collected for him. Then he sang, this is Baul history... this is what legends are...and he did this when he was 7 or 8 years old.... he soon realized by singing the songs from his lineage, the more than 5,000 songs he had laboured to learn he could give something back to his mother and his village. It is not that he sang songs to beg, he had done his sadhana from birth, he knew his lineage, he had already laboured long years learning sanskrit, learning the oral tradition.

Today we pay for books, newspapers, magazines, TV and the Internet, we pay to get certified in just about every aspect of Indian spirituality, we pay to keep the temples. Bauls provided these services through song and dance way before people even had books, they taught lessons in Indian spirituality, in the art and science of life, how to cooperate with nature, how to reach the highest, deep love by removing the shackles that bind us, for this they were given dakshina. Bauls have always been a major part of life in rural Bengal, they an integral part of Bengali culture.

Bauls are the spiritual Guru bards, spiritual musical mystical Guru minstrels from West Bengal India. Bauls are the magical removers of darkness, they awaken the soul. They have been holding the key to the unseen magical world for thousands of years, there is a flow of magical lineage flowing through their blood. Bauls are simple but it is not simple to just call oneself a Baul, you must have done years and years of sadhana under a Guru, who also has the gift or the key, and can pass the gift on.

Copyright 2011 all rights reserved.

None of us has a Permanent Resident Visa or Permanent Citizenship.. Quote by Babu Kishan

Friday, February 4, 2011

New Baul Performers do not know the History of The Bauls of Bengal. Most if not all of the new Bauls representing Baul today are not versed in Sanskrit,Vedas, Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, Yoga, Indian Philosophy orVedanta. This is the basis of being Baul. The new Baul singers have not been taught the incredible historical legacy that is The Bauls of Bengal, some are more interested in how they look or how they can make themselves a celebrity?? There is no Bengal without Baul, and there is no Baul without Bengal, there is a soul connection between the Bauls and the soil of Bengal. I am sorry to say one problem is that scholars or writers on Baul have it wrong, they have either talked to the wrong Bauls or have cut and paste what already has been falsely written in books and articles regarding who the Baul are. Some are trying to popularize Bauls by saying that the Bauls are a rootless religion, this is one of the biggest distortions I have ever heard, and completely wrong. First of all Baul is not a religion... Baul is Dharma and a path of sadhana. Baul roots are not only deep they are ancient. If you do not know the eternal dharma and proceed on a path without roots how will never understand or gain the depth that is aquired from a strong foundation, one needs to understand the history, the roots of Baul, the eternal dharma called Baul.

The oral living lineage of the Baul of Bengal is like an ocean that was established thousands of years ago. The new rivers flow into the ocean, the ocean does not flow into the river. Rivers come to meet the ocean not the other way around, the ocean can not be smaller, everyday the ocean gets bigger and bigger, a river can only flow into the ocean. A seed will grow roots then grow into a beautiful tree full of lush leaves, flowers and fruit, the fruit of this tree is called Baul. This fruit can only grow through sadhana. The juice or rasa of Baul is only alive and drinkable because this lineage has kept the songs alive, the Baul sadhana and Baul philosophy alive for thousands of years through devotion. In my observations the new Bauls are trying to change the unchangeable ocean of the Bauls of Bengal, cutting the roots off, without the roots the tree will not grow for future generations. Baul is mystical tradition of sadhana, a Guru and disciple parampara Oral Living Lineage. My lineage of Bauls being the oldest living lineage of Baul, we are the original ecstatic devotional singer, we are Tantric Bhakti Yogi's from West Bengal India. In 2011 I am finding the Bauls are at a crossroad, which way will they go?

Nobel prized great poet Rabindranath Tagore was deeply inspired by Nabani Das Baul, Baul Music and Baul philosophy, as Shri Nabani Das Baul was Tagore's Baul guru. Nabani Das Baul was the first and last Baul Teacher at Rabindranath Tagore's University 'Viswa Bharti'. He also was Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's Baul Music, Dance and philosophy teacher at Viswa Bharti, this is how Nabani Das Baul had come to Know Jawaharlal Nehru. When India gained independence form the British in 1947 Nehru invited Nabani Das Baul to sing at the inaugaration ceremonies all over India.

From Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to America's poet Allen Ginsberg, Beatles, Rollingstones, Bob Dylan, Mahalia Jackson, Gandhiji, Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Osho, Amandamayi Ma, Ramakrishna Dev, Shri SitaRam Omkarnath, they were all inspired by our lineage of Bauls from Bengal. Even Mother Theresa loved the Bauls, and there are many others whom this lineage of Bauls, my family inspired. Anandamoyi Ma once said to me, "Bauls are complete, they are far advanced to a university degree, they are beyond a PHD." She said, that she wanted to be in touch with my grandfather Nabani Das Baul but for some reason could not, her strongest spiritual guru Sitaram Das Omkarnath who brought her into the spiritual limelight was a very close associate of Nabani Das Baul and it was Sitaram Das Omkarnath who told Ananadmoyi Ma the many stories about my grandfather Sri Nabani Das Baul. At that time in history it was so hard to do what Anandamoyi Ma did, it was a mans world in regards to being a spiritual guru, I loved both Anandamoyi Ma and Sitaram Das Omkarnath.

Edward Dimock Jr. in his The Place of the Hidden Moon (1966) writes: "Rabindranath Tagore put the Bauls on a higher-than-respectable level by his praise of the beauty of their songs and spirit, and by his frank and proud acknowledgement of his own poetic debt to them."

The Lineage Bauls of Bengal also inspired many other successful poets, playwrights and songwriters of the 19th and 20th centuries.

The names Goswami (Gosai) Das or Dasi have been our lineages names since the beginning of the story going back thousands of years. We are a lineage of mystical song and dance and of kirtan from West Bengal India. Kirtan is not just call and response chanting, it is about telling the stories of Radha and Krishna, the stories of all the scriptures, who is Ram and Sita what did they do, what are their stories? The Baul must learn these stories, they are seeds of Indian Baul philosophy, these seed songs are exactly what Baul songs are about. The seeds grow into the tree called Baul Sadhana, without the seeds or the roots a tree will never grow.. it is these roots I am trying to preserve for future generations.

The truth is and is well known in Bengal that Shri Nityananda, or Nitai born in Ekchhaka, Birbhum, West Bengal in the 1400-1500's was a Baul. Shri Nityananda inspired his best friend, a scholar by the name of Shri Chaitanya Dev, or Gauranga. As best friends Sri Nityananda shared the Hare Krishna Mahamantra with Shri Chaitanya Dev, along with our Hare Krishna song, dance and Baul sadhana. Baul is an oral tradition, an oral tradition is passed on through sanskrit, word of mouth, hearing and remembering, as in storytelling. An oral tradition is not a book tradition, the books are stored in our memory. Much has been distorted by scholarly writers and by Vaishnava reformers. These writers and reformers never had a connection to the oral tradition or the roots of Baul. The way of the Baul is the way of the Rasa Lila Mystics, the original Hare Krishna singers and dancers in Bengal. Bauls accept all, feed all, they even adopt those who are rejected by mainstream society. A Baul is never pedantic, we never say we are better or that Krishna is better than Shiva, that kind of talk is for the spiritually immature. Bauls encourage people, they are not preachers who gather people for the sake of collecting devotee's and money to build temples. Bauls want everybody to be a free bird, to find the divine within. Bauls talk for the people, they show love they do not just talk about it, they already know all the finer points of Bhakti yoga.

Shri Nityananda being a Brahmin Lineage Baul when he met Chaitanya was already dancing and singing the Mahamantra as his ancestors had been doing for almost 5,000 years. This song and dance naturally, and spontaneously flowed to Shri Chaitanya. Now I see the Bauls have been removed from all stories regarding Sri Nityananda and Sri Chaitanya completely written out of Vaishnava history. I am also seeing Sri Nityananada being left out of the story by some modern writers stating Shri Chaitanya is the only father of modern day kirtan ?? I will write more on this at a later date.

There is a huge misunderstanding that Bauls are beggars, they are only beggars for God/dess, some how we are all beggars in this world we are all begging for our survival, we are all begging for money, we all have to support ourselves and our families. Bauls are beggars for Goddess, they sometimes completely forget about their material reality, artha.The world is rapidly changing and so do Bauls need to change, it is easy for someone else to live in another country and say they sould stay the way they are, but the world is not supporting the way they are, they actually are suffering because Bauls tend to be innocent and trusting, today people are so clever, it is easy to use the Bauls, take their music..

In the old days Bauls were offered dakshina or offering of gratitude to the Guru. Yes, Bauls were Guru's who dedicated their lives to pass on the most important spiritual knowledge of the Upanishads, Vedas, Yoga and Indian Philosophy. They provided deep inspiration to the people living in the rural villages of Bengal. Purna Das Baul was the first Baul who made sure Bauls recieved money for their songs for their performances. Although his father Nabani Das would be have been furious if you gave him money for his singing as he was a Baul Guru, it was automatic that he received Dakshina out of respect for his amazing knowledge and spontaneous healings, it was a way of respect, a way of being grateful.

Today we pay for books, newspapers, magazines, TV and the Internet, we pay to get certified in just about every aspect of Indian spirituality, we pay to keep the temples. Bauls provided these services through song and dance way before people even had books, they taught lessons in Indian spirituality, in the art and science of life, how to cooperate with nature, how to reach the highest, deep love by removing the shackles that bind us, for this they were given dakshina. Bauls have always been a major part of life in rural Bengal, they an integral part of Bengali culture. Bauls are the spiritual Guru bards, spiritual musical mystical Guru minstrels from West Bengal India. Bauls are the magical removers of darkness, they awaken the soul. They have been holding the key to the unseen magical world for thousands of years, there is a flow of magical lineage flowing through their blood. Bauls are simple but it is not simple to just call oneself a Baul, you must have done years and years of sadhana under a Guru, who also has the gift or the key, and can give the gift.

Subodh Mitra's 1955 Raikamal classic oldie Bengali movie , was a film about my grandfather Shri Nabani Das Baul. When a movie is made about you in India in 1955 you can guess that Sri Nabani Das Baul was a figure of importance, a legendary person. The Bengali movie Hansraj was based on the life of my father, in 1985 which featured stories about my aunt Radharani Dasi, an outstanding woman Baul. I provided the story, and was the film project designer, they also made this movie into a Hindi version called Sawan Koaane aane do made by Rajshri Productions. Raikamal. (Bengali, 1955) was adapted from a story by the Bengali author Tarashankar Banerjee who wrote about Sri Nabani Das Baul. The movie stared Uttam Kumar, Kaberi Bose, Nitish Mukherjee, Sabitri Chatterjee, Chandrabati Devi, Jiben Bose, Namita Sinha and others with music directed by Pankaj Mullick.

It is my thought that new Baul singers should at the very least be sadhaks andsadhika’s. A Baul should have experience in all areas of life, Bauls should be accomplished. Today we have Baul singers who are like tourist attractions, wandering world festivals calling themselves legendary?? In my opinion this is a blatant distortion of this most beautiful ancient oral living lineage. They are painting a picture, making up stories so fantastic, to be Baul is to be humble. The original Bauls of Bengal are almost extinct. Bauls are free birds, they are flexible but that does not mean anything goes. Today Baul is being misrepresented being made out to be about folk songs, smoking ganja, and tantric sex, is this the only topic the new Bauls can use to draw people in?? This is not Baul. If you read about Baul or hear about Baul and this is the first subject and only subject you can know you are hanging with the wrong Bauls.

Baul students really want to be Baul and that is very sweet, however, there is a procedure, a process of long sadhana of many years under a Guru until one is able to represent what being a Baul is. Teaching, talking about Baul is simple, learning Baul sadhana is arduous. There are at the very least 5,000 songs to memorize as seeds of higher philosophy. There should be some recognition of boundaries, even though a Baul always says they have no boundaries, a Baul must be able to understand the paradox in all things. A Baul must have a Guru whom they study under for many years if not their whole life, they basically live with this guru every day for years and years, and this Guru should at least be a Baul Guru, a legitimate Baul Guru who teaches the lineage, the history of the Bauls of Bengal not omitting anything, a Guru who is honest and not afraid to tell the truth, this guru should have mastered Indian Philosophy. Myself I had to stand back for years and do seva to my guru before I went out on my own, and I certainly never called myself legendary, this is the sign of a immature ego.

The goal of Baul is not fame, it is not about writing books, it is not about performing, it is about reaching God and teaching others, to teach you must have reached a certain level of development where you can answer all the questions?? I myself have traveled the world for 40 years representing Baul and my lineage, my dharma, or my duty, it is in my blood, I am a lineage Baul of Bengal from a legendary family of Bauls, but blood aside I am a Baul, I have put in years and years of Sadhana and seva. If you want to help by preserving Baul first learn the history of what you are preserving. A Baul always has an ocean of deep knowledge, real wisdom, as a Baul you are a Guru not just a performer, you must be able to teach, to argue philosophy, you must be able to provide the knowledge of all things regarding Indian philosophy, and you must be able to help people heal. Bauls are master of energetics, a Baul is never about just a preformer. Baul is not just about saying a few words, smiling and acting sweet, to be a Baul, the lineage must be active within you, meaning you have spent years learning yoga, tantra, vedanta, Indian philosophy, you should have real life experience, with a level of maturity and some connection to the a real Baul?? You can only make people stupid for a little while. Baul is the most beautiful heart filled divine way of reaching heaven and realizing God/dess within you. It is Indian Bhakti Yoga, originating back to the beginning of the story the Bhagavad Gita.

Sufi Fakir is Sufi Fakir, Sai, Aul, Shah, Dervish is Sufi, Sufi is Sufi although there are some similarities they are not the same. Baul is always based on Indian Philosophy, Indian scriptures transmitted orally through the ages and distilled into simple songs in Bengali for the rural Bengali's who lived in the village. Bauls do sadhana they are yogi's, mantra, japa, nada yoga, pranayama, yoga, and they are accomplished tantric musicians who know the technique to awaken their intended deity, they are magic bringers, they make magic happen, Bauls know the technique to awaken the forces of nature and the divine the heart of everyone. Bauls are not just regualr singer and dancers. Just as a master of the Sitar who is accomplished knows the technique which awakens the divine that will fill the room with the perfume of a divine bhava, it is the same with the Baul there is a technique, the tantra of Baul awakens the perfume of the Gods and Goddess's, you must have completed your sadhana for this to be alive. Baul is not about just singing a song, or sitting around chanting a mantra in a group, as a Baul you must have mastered the tantra of Baul or have the siddhi of Baul. Baul is not just about shouting out a song and swinging in a circle, there is a technique, a Tantra a Baul sings from the heart. A Baul is a soul singer not a shouter and I can tell because I am a master of Baul, classical, folk and bollywood I can hear who is singing what? Most new Bauls are singing folk songs, and to my surprise I have even heard a few sing a bollywood songs, calling it a Baul song??

Baul is always based on Hinduism, Vaishnavism, Indian Tantra, Shakti Sadhana,Indian philosophy, and Yoga. Parts of Sufi and Buddhism naturally and automatically flowed into the Baul philosophy and sadhana just as they automatically entered into Bengal. However it is important to remember Baul is not based in Sufi or Buddhism. Bauls never take anything, they are givers, Baul is about giving pearls of wisdom, giving information, they are Guru's and are the biggest healers and peacemakers. They are God intoxicated Mystics. Bauls wander from village to village they were the early moring wake up call, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna they would be singing early in the morning to a morning raga. Their Ektara is their symbol of peace and unity, one string, unity between all people alls caste creeds or colour. The accept all who were rejected, a Bauls loves everybody, is respectful of everybody, they helped people grind themselves to be lovers of the divine. Baul originated way before Sufi or Buddhism. Bauls are ancient, they are a mystical path to reach God, they grind the rasa, the juice of the heart to wake up. Krishna and Radha live in the hearts of the lineage Bauls.

If you read Bauls who mention Bob Dylan, Woodstock, The Beatles, Allen Ginsberg, or Rabindranath Tagore, The Rolling Stones regarding Baul, they can only be talking about my family, however, I am finding Bauls throwing these names around like they were the people who met these people, they are using those names as a marketing tool, they do not even know or purposely leave out the names of Purna Das Baul or Nabani Das Baul, the lineage Bauls who brought Baul to the world, the Bauls who had a relationships with these people, are either myself personally or my family, mostly me. I have seen the Bangladeshi's people claiming these stories belong to them, talking about Allen Ginsberg, Bod Dylan, when I know they have never had any association?? I really wonder what is going on??

For that matter any association from outside of Birbhum to the world came through Nabani Das Khyapa Baul, or my father or myself, and has only come through our family. The new Bauls are singing songs from this lineage and they do not acknowledge who wrote the songs, where did the songs come from, and please do not shorten the songs, these songs are seed songs of higher philosophy. These new Bauls are taking all the credit, selling themselves on our stories, our songs they do not mention anything about the lineage or the people who have walked before them. We have been running around the world, dedicating our lives to sadhana, making a platform for these Bauls and yet they are using our life stories, our lineage and they do not even mention the legendary Nabani Das Baul and his family, which by the way is quite large. This lineage is based on Guru, there should be respect, if there is no respect then one has not learned the first lesson of being a Baul. The Baul students today like to be Baul, they hang out with a some Bauls, they call their Guru’s respected, that is all fine, but that also does not constitute what a Baul is.. It is not easy to be a Baul and certainly taking pictures of oneself with Bauls and dressing like a Baul, copying my father, does not constitute being a Baul. Promoting yourself in magazines, websites, changing the story day by day does not mean you are a Baul. Baul songs are not folk songs, sadhana is Baul. The maturity of this sadhana must show. Everybody is messing up what Baul is, changing the story, watering down the songs to make them easier to sing. Western Bauls are not Bauls, they have no association with the Bauls of Bengal, even their Guru’s, guru was not a Baul. One of the first tenents of Baul is having respect and by using Baul as a way to create something for yourself is not about respect or respect for the Baul.

Another thing I have noticed is UNESCO awarded a high level Bangladeshi official with the United Nations some millions of dollars to preserve Bauls in Bangladesh by convincing them Baul is about Sufi. Baul is not just about being a play write or poet as in Lalon Fakir who yes can be a Baul but he is not the whole history of Baul. Bauls were around thousands of years before Lalon Fakir they are poets, philosophers, musicians, they are everything to do with Yoga, Tantra, and Indian spirituality, they are about experiencing life in this human body, the body as the temple, divinity is within. This Bangladeshi official talks about how Baul is only about Lalon Fakir and the word Baul is muslim word, it is not. I myself have dedicated the better part of my life working tirelessly preserving Baul and have watched my family work tirelessly preserving Baul all around the world. Now I see the Bangladeshi's saying they are Baul by mostly singing folk songs. <span>Baul songs are not folk songs.</span> All of lives we have brought Baul out of the village it is surprising to me that even back in the 70's when I started to tour outside of India it was very rare to see an Indian let alone a Bangladeshi who knew about Bauls, even when we traveled to Bangladesh trying to help preserve Lalon Fakir songs, there were no Bauls in Bangladesh, there were a few and they were not singing Baul songs they were singing Bangladeshi folk songs and I brought them to Kolkata and had them recorded. Being Baul now all of a sudden I see Bangladeshi folk singers holding the ektara up high, but singing folk songs and becoming Baul and we are proud that they are embracing Baul, this is a very new thing.

Shri Nityananda of Ekchhaka is my ancestor, his son Birbandra Das Gosia is also part of my lineage, along with Advaita Gosia, Kheppa Chand Gosia, Okura Gosai, Triguna Dasi, Chakradhar Das, Anapurna Dasi, Narottama Das, Chandi Das, Rasaraj Gosai, Sri Nabani Das Baul, Radharani Dasi Bau, Gopal Das Baul, or Sri Purna Das Baul, Manju Das Baul to name only a few are legendary Bauls. Now I see young people who are calling themselves legendary. My mother Manju Das Baul traveled around the world over and over since 1962, she played on some of the biggest stages of the world including the Royal Albert Hall in London, Carnagie Hall in New York, Nitaji Indoor stadium in Kolkata, and she never once called herself legendary. My grandmother Brajabala Dasi and Aunt Radharani, and many more who are born and raised into the Baul way of life never once called themselves legendary. What is going on…? I know there are many Baul women who are not getting a chance, Baul women tend to be shy, they are not aggressive. I am going to make it my mission to promote these authentic Baul women, they need my help now. The stories are encoded in our songs, Gosai Das Baul. I have read the writings of modern day Vaishnava reformers it is all wrong, all I see is cut and paste, the stories are so far fetched and they believe this to be truth because their Guru said, there is no basis for over half of the stories, no where in Bengal have we ever heard these made up stories.

The first Dotara played by a Baul was introduced by Gopal Das Baul in the early 1940's he was the husband of my aunt Radharani Dasi Baul (Radharani Dasi was the biggest most famous Baul women ever.) Gopal Das Baul was a disciple of my grandfather Nabani Das Baul. Nabani asked what Gopal wanted because as he was such a wonderful student. Gopal said, "I want to marry your daughter, Radharani Dasi allow me to be part of your family and take care of Radharani all my life".. Gopal Das Baul was pure and true Vaishnava, a true sadhak. I am proud to say Radharani Dasi was the first official Baul to record for all India Radio... The movie Raikamal was about Radharani's life, wrote by one of Bengali's top writers, Tara Shankar. In 1985 a movie called 'Togori' was also made about Radharani's life. Radharani's husband Gopal Das was the son of the Ekchakra Nityananda Temple, I remember Gopal Das Baul as the greatest sweet maker, and I love him lots.

I have noticed there is one new young women baul performer who has completely copied my aunt Radharani's dress from the movie Togori, which is fine, however, I created dress as in costume design for a movie, I personally designed it for the movie, my Aunt Radharani did not actually dresss that way?? Purna Das Baul is the only real Baul to wear Nupur anklets around his ankles, no other Baul has worn them before him, he introduced them, Bauls wear ankle bells around their ankles, most people do not know this, Bauls follow whatever Baul Samarat Purna Das Baul has done or for that matter whatever our lineage has done.. songs, dress, ect...

The famous Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore, was the one person in the world who talked about the Bauls, he had met Lalon Fakir, but it was Sri Nabani Das Baul who was his Baul Guru, and his best firend and the Baul who inspiratedRabindranath Tagore. He named Nabani Das Baul Khappa Baul, Nabani Das Baul named him (Robi) Ravi Baul.

Rabindranath Tagore started the Pous Mela in honour of my grandfather Shri Nabani Das Khyappa Baul. Rabindranath created this festival to bring all the poets of the world together and to preserve Bengali culture in Shantiniketan, he named the bridge, Nabani Setu after my Grandfather Sri Nabani Das Baul as he was the first Baul to be introduced through the Pous Mela, he opened the door for other Bauls at the Pous Mela. Nabani Das Baul was the biggest attraction for the Joy Dev Mela, Rabindranath said to Nabani Das you go to the Joy DevMela why not start a Mela here in Shantinekatan to bring together all the poets and storytellers around the world. He thought Nabani Das would be the biggest attraction for everybody. Rabindranath photographed Nabani Das Baul and you can even view these photographs in the Royal British Museum in London. He created a meditation spot for Nabani Das just opposite the glass room in Shantiniketan.

It was the American Poet Allen Ginsberg who met Nabani Das Baul in the early 60’s, Ginsberg called Nabani Das his Guru and the 8th wonder of the world, although Nabani didn't want to be Allen’s guru, he wrote about Sri Nabani Das Baul in the New York times, Nabani preference was to remain anonymous(but way before Allen Ginsberg some people did record and wrote about nabani das baul in europe,Japan). Allen Ginsberg suggested that Nabani Das Baul come toWoodstock, Nabani Das Baul could not go or perhaps he would not go, as he was not well, he sent his son’s, Purna Das Baul and Luxman Das Baul to Woodstock, this was the beginning of this families legendary association with Bob Dylan.

You can see Purna Das Baul and Luxman Das Baul on the cover of Bob Dylans, ‘John Westly Harding’ album. This was the first time any Baul had come to North America, Purna Das had already traveled to Russia and all over India. I have been traveling for over 40 years around the world, with my father and mother at first, and then by myself, continuous traveling, promoting Baul, lecturing about Baul. It is not easy to do because most people have short attention spans. It is easy for the new Baul singers to change the story, to make up their own story and undue any of the work I have done??? I never see them even mention Nabani Das Baul ?? As i said they sing the songs composed by my grandfather, my family and never mention who composed the song, you should at least know this, don't you think??

Nabani Das Khyappa Baul was already famous through his ecstatic Baul sadhana and divine ecstatic singing that would propel even a casual passerby into the bhava divine blissful God intoxication. This is what a lineage is, this is what Baul singing is about, it is not about singing a song, or a folk song it is about awakening a lifetimes worth of meditation, the result of Yoga and the Rasa Lila dance between Radha, Krishna, and the Gopi’s. The Lineage Bauls is Brahmin, however, they rejected the orthodox Vaishnava rules and regulations, the lineage is that of Gosia Das Baul" They wanted to become free birds, natural, spontaneous, they are naturally raganuga bhakti. Bauls have always been know as spontaneous mad men and women who erupt like a volcano of love into pure ecstasy because of the divine love between Radha and Krishna. For the lineage Bauls this is not something they have to learn it flows through their lineage, they laugh spontaneously, they cry sponaneously, they move spontaneously. Bauls include and accept all people, all castes, and creeds. There is one thing you must understand Baul does not mean anything goes, you must be human first and the best human you can be, refining our human nature first. One needs to use and develop and intellect, know how to cooperate with the universe,this is implied one must understand Indian philosophy, the rules of Yoga, Ayurveda ect...

One of the first steps in doing Baul Sadhana, is purification through breath control or pranayama, we call Vayu Dharma. The term Baul is a Sanskrit word, Vaul, B and V are interchanged when interpreting Sanskrit into English.. ie) you may see Brindavan also spelled Vrindivan. Baul = Vaul=Ba tula= Vayu Tula= vital air to lift up. To lift up the vital airs. Baa ool is the easiest way to pronounce Baul for a westerner. Yes Bauls are ecstatic, mystical, mad, crazy, with love, in the bhava of love, they are moody, and only concerned about one thing, divine love.

Everybody talks about their own religion, their own spirituality, Sufi talks about Sufi, Budhism talks about Buddhism, Vaishnava talks about Vaishnavism, Christianity talks about themselves, all talking about their own saying, this is the way, we are the way. Baul talks about everybody, embraces everybody saying all are the way, accept all, what is important is inside of you, turn around and look within God lives inside of you. Thus Sadhana is the most essential element of being a Baul and by stating this it does not mean one should give up their intellect… Being a Baul is about developing your intellect, being a philosopher, not following blindly. Baul is most certainly about experence, that is one of the reasons they wander to gain experience in life. They have family, children, and because we are in 2011 it means education, to be in the world and not of the world.. For Bauls to survive in this rapidly changing world it is my belief that they need a modern education, everything is changing at such a rapid rate, the real Bauls are struggling.

Before the Pous Mela there were lots of Baul Festivals, places where Bauls gathered and they used to exchange, meeting talking about their sadhana, philosophy, music, dance and deep connections through their poetry in Birbhum's Jaydev Mela, Kankali Tala, Tarapith, Mama Bhaghne, PathorChapri, Bakreshwar, Nadia, Murshidabad, Purilia, Nabani Das was always present in all of these festivals. Shri Nabani Das Khyappa Baul was covered West Bengal's best news magazine 'Desh". Longtime on Pous Mela's Booklet, Jaydev Mela's Booklet, and in so many West Bengal's news papers and magazine then in some International news papers and magazines way before anyone ever knew anything about Bauls, he was the first. He was the first Baul who's pictures are at London Museum, there were books on him, Films on him. He was the first and last Baul Teacher at Rabindranath Tagore's University 'Viswa Bharti'. Nabani Das Baul was India's Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's Music, Dance and philosiphy teacher at Viswa Bharti, that is how he had come to Know Jawharlal Nehru.

Later Jawharlal invited Nabani Das Baul to perfom Baul song and dance in Delhi, Kolkata, Rajasthan, and that is how the first Baul came from village to city. Nabani Das Baul was a Sanskrit Scholar as well as a Tantric sadhak a followership of Kali & Krishna, he was a very accomplished Kali Sadhaka at Tarapith, yes you could say legendary. Most of all modern Bauls sing Nabani Das Baul songs, all writen by him, seeds of his sadhana and they do not acknowledge this.

Indian father of Film writer and director Satyajit Ray was also inspired by Nabani Das Baul, so was Ritwik Ghatok, Mrinal Sen, Tarun Mazumder and many more Film personalities inspired were also inspired by my grandfather, my guru Nabani Das Baul. Rabindranath Tagore was inspired by him, in his compositions like 'Dekhechhi roop sagore' to'Amare paraye paraye khepiye berai' and 'Hari naam diye jagot' to 'jodi tor dak sune kei'.

My dad Purna Das Baul is the Superstar of Bauls and King or Samarat of the Bauls of Bengal, he recieved the title Baul Samarat form the President of India. Purna Das Baul completely changed the era of Baul. Bauls follow him, they dress like him, they sing his songs from our lineage. He completely helped the Bauls to become performing artists, now you can find them on every stage around the world. Where you see a Baul performing around the world, no matter who it is, it is because of Purna Das Baul and our family paved the way for this beautiful art form and we are the first to share Baul with the world. What bauls are doing today the ones that are traveling the world is only due my leg work promoting Baul from village to famous music record labels, film, television, books, news papers, magazines, performing from every lane to International stages, festivals, universities.

I can honestly say because I am a Baul and a Classical, Folk and Bollywood music master, that Purna Das Baul is the best Baul singer, nobody can even come close to him as a Baul singer. As a Baul he is an ocean in his Baul knowledge, in his style of Classic Baul singing he has performed on the world biggest stages in front of millions of people he is like a ocean, every Baul wants to ny famil in sound and style. My father and uncle brought along and introduced many Bauls to the stage he took many of them overseas with him including, his brother Laxshman Das Baul, Sudhananda, Subal Das Baul, Sanatan Das Baul, Gostogopal Das, Praladhbramcharya, Bhakti Das Baul, Viswanath das Baul, Devdas Baul, Dinobandhu Das Baul, Jiban Das Baul, Hari Krishna Das Baul. Purna Das Baul introduced these Bauls and he had a very hard time controlling many of them, as many of them did things he did not approve of out of the country or they started to say I am this I am that… Baul was never about women, ganja, it is about control, and sadhana. I myself introduced many people to Baul, and almost 90% of the new comer Baul singers I have introduced to the stage, through many of the Baul melas that I personally organized in West Bengal.

We did fundraising for Iskcon, the Ramakrishna mission, temples, groups, people who were going to help us promote the Bauls only to find they were promoting themselves. We wanted people to stop using the Bauls, and figured the Bauls were worth more than to just to be a fundraiser for everyone. We now need to do our own fundraising to preserve this tradition.

I have created the BHAVA Project (Baul Historical Ashram and Vedic Academy) and Performing Arts, under a Foundation named the Ektara Foundation to preserve my ancient oral living lineage and to create a bridge to inspire young people. Sometimes people see me as having left Baul, and gone to Bollywood. I never ever left Baul or my sadhana, my sadhana is strong, it is a part of my life. I have gathered valuable life experience and am now able to do more for the Bauls. We live in different times, we need to keep the original but times have changed, how can we keep the original in this changing world. The world will not stop so perhaps we need to adapt, to look at our young generation and think how do I get these talented young people interesting in Baul way and also do somthing for them on the world stage? http://ektarabaul.blogspot.com/

Purna Das Baul and his family introduced Sally Grossman, Charles Capwell from Chicago University, Professor Edward Dimock, Deben Battacharya, Carol Solomon to Baul and gave unlimited information about what being a Baul is and we are happy that they helped promote the Bauls of Bengal. It is our family of Bauls who introduced Baul to all festivals and universities around the world.. We did all the leg work, talking, promoting, preserving, it is always so easy for others who come after to be critical but you know what no would even know who the Bauls are without our family. I know how much work was involved, I know I gave up many years of my life to serve my parents, I know how much work my mom Manju Das did. I worked day and night to make all of this happen.

My dad won a first Gold medal as Baul in Rajasthan in the 50's, then another in the Russian Youth Festival in the early 60’s. He is the first official to Baul start to start his journey with All India Radio permanently as A Grade Artist. His his father Nabani Das Baul was first, but he was not permanent, because he was a God intoxicated, wild, mad, sadhu Baul he never stayed in one place for very long, constantly moving, that is why after I was born he carried me everywhere with him. After Radio my dad recorded with the Hindusthan Record Company, along with his father Nabani Das Das and his daughter Radharani Dasi Baul. My aunt Radharani Dasi was the first woman Baul and belive me she nothing like the female Baul singers today shouting out songs, she was completely a deep spiritual soul singer, one must remember my ears are so trained, I am a composer, I can hear what is Baul and what is not Baul. The record Company's owner contracted my dad every year, and one album after one album he became a super star. I composed all of the music for my dad and mom, and did all the promotion ect.. I worked day and night like a good little servant eldest son.

The Biggest question for the Bauls is, What is next??? This is the big questions for the History of the Bauls of Bengal . Which way will the Bauls of Bengal go, the lineage of Bauls, it looks to me like they are becoming distorted, a watered down version, they are becoming whatever any new age Baul singer wants to say, I am this, I am that, who is to blame?The authentic Baul sadhana’s will be lost forever, I already hear all sorts of Bauls singing folk songs, and only sufi songs, calling Baul something it is not and never was meant to be.

The World is changing so fast, generations of young people do not even know Baul history how Nabani Das Khyapa Baul's name was in all the Intellectual circles and they all associated with his all the famous poets, politicians, painters, Film Makers, Sadhus, Yogis, Tantrics, and Great Film makers such as Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Ritwik Ghatok, Tarun MazumderJamini, Bimal Roy, Ajit Ganguly they were all inspired by their favourite Nabani Das Baul. Whoever met Rabindranath Tagore, used to say Khyapa Nabani Das Baul was the last original authentic Baul, now today what I see I almost want to weep, at the lack of Baul history, how everybody is saying they are legendary, I am not sure these new Baul really know what it is to be a Baul. However, I do have hope that they can be trained authentically and my dream is to create a Baul ashram to do just that to preserve my lineage, to tell the stories as they should be told, to help the Bauls remain on the world stage with their heads held high. I realize I have to come back to Bengal to make this happen, is it possible, will the Bengal people support Baul, a major part of Bengali Culture or are the Baul a thing of the past, now just to be a tourist attraction? I want to create a legacy for the Bauls of Bengal, a place for them to do sahana, for all the new Bauls to learn the history of Baul. To be a Baul is an honour now is the time the world needs to learn about these gentle peace keepers, the way of the Baul perhaps is the way of a new world full of peace, acceptance, and divine love, including all, helping all.

Sandhya Das was a upcoming and Classical trained singer and performer in Kolkata, West Bengal.Also a music teacher at Children Little Theater where her friend was dance teacher who became so Famous actress Sharmila Tagore. Sandhya received a contract from government of India to tour allover India to entertain Indian Army Troops performing with a group, however, there a problem was she didn't know any Bengali folk and Baul music, the troops were not interested in Classical Indian music. So Sandhya needed to be trained in folk music and preferably baul music she searched and found a folk teacher but she could not find anybody to teach her Baul songs. The Government found her a new teacher who was already a famous Baul who was from Birbhum but was living in Kolkata, that happened to be Purna Das Baul. She met the Baul at All India Radio and learnt a couple of Baul songs. After she came back from a tour, her life completely changed. She found something much interesting in Baul music than anything else. She fell in love not only Baul music but with that extraordinary Baul and married him, changed her life style from regular woman to Baulini and Sandhya became the famous Baulini Manju Das Baul,who was the first official woman Baul in World's history to travel the world at a very young age, she was not only a Baul but an educated women with a BA in India classical music, a really devoted wife and sadhika. There are many interesting stories about my mother, famous people she met, a extraordinary life she lived. Manju Das Baul is the first Baul to ever use the Harmonium.

One story that my mother Manju Das Baul told me about her father Jogesh Das who was triple MA with a Masters degrees in Bengali, English and Sanskrit, he was a professor at Dhaka University, in what today is called Bangladesh. It was February 21, 1952 when Pakistan initiated Urdu as the official language. Jogesh Das being a linguist and a professor of Bengali, English, and Sanskrit he was persecuted along with his family, they were forced out of East Bengal now know as Bangladesh, their house, land and everything they owned were stolen, their relatives were tortured and Jogesh's brothers were beheaded all because they were not Muslim and did not speak Urdu, they were ancestors to this land but because they were Hindu they had to leave or all meet death. Thus this is how they became refugees in Kolkata living in a refugee camp called Jadavpur. Today in Bangladesh Unesco has declared 21 February as "International Mother Language Day around the world.

Jogesh obtained a job as atemporary sanskrit lecturer at Kolkata University, he met a man names Abhay and became good friends with this man he met at Tollygunge who later became a modern spiritual leader, his name was Abhay Charan Dey who later became known as Srila Prabhupada of Iskcon.

How interesting Mr. Abhay knew both my grandfathers well, and Nabani Das Baul's ancestory being that of Sri Nityananda he also knew that Das and Dasi were names in our lineage, and that we were always considered part of the Gaudiya math lineage, very interesting how life unfolds, and how stories are changed??? In our family we have many stories of Bhaktivedanta Prabupada.

The stories I learned in Bengal and what was passed onto me by my lineage are totally different stories from the stories I am seeing written today? Srila Prabupada invited my dad Purna Das Baul to sing for him in India, London and America, come sing for krishna help raise money in Krishna's honour, over time we realized that they actually were putting the Bauls down behind their backs, taking their names, changing the story, and not mentioning the Bauls, taking things from their lineage and double talking behind their backs, even calling the Gaudiya Math back in India wrong?? .......to be cont'd in full context at a later date..... .

Babu Kishan aka Krishnendu Das Baul, born in Suri, Birbhum, West Bengal into the lap of Sri Nabani Das Kyappa Baul and Brajobala Dasi, his grandparents, he lived a lucid life in the highest of spiritual energy, he was initiated by all of the Saints, Sadhu's, Siddha's, Guru's, Yogi's, Tantrics, Nath's, Avadhuta's, that lived during the 60's, & 70's,80's, 90's, onward. His grandfather was an accomplished tantric, Avadhuta, Baul Saint. Babu was Bala Krishna to Sri Nabani Das Baul, he took Babu everywhere with him. Babu is the first Baul to be educated in the oral tradition, and outside of the oral tradition with a "BA Indian Philosophy, MA Indian Music," he is a "Sanskrit Vedic Tantric Baul Scholar Mystic." He spent 12 years as a Vedic Monk at the Ramakrishna Mission in Narendrapur, Kolkata. 30 years in Bollywood as a music composer, and film maker.

Babu Kishan aka Krishnendu Das Baul is a Master of Baul songs and Baul Sadhana, Indian Folk music, Indian Classical, and Bollywood music. He has produced, promoted, composed for all the top Bollywood India musican's and singers. He is the first Baul to compose Fusion Music, get a modern education, the first Baul to live in North America. As a Music Director, Composer, for Indian Cinema for 30 years, he has composed over 150 scores, produced 44 albums. A prolific writer, poet, and author of 3 books on Baul. He has been traveling the world promoting, teaching Lineage Baul for more than 40 years.

Bob Dylan and Babu's father Purna Das Baul, his uncle Lakshman Das Baul, taken at legendary first Woodstock in 1969. They spent about 2 months jamming together.. Cover of John Westly Harding

In 1985 there was a Bengali Movie called Tagori, it was Babu's story of his aunt Radharani Dasi Baul...a famous, magical Baulini women, she had a beautiful voice, magical voice, pure heaven on earth.. these women do not shout out their songs, or sing folk songs. These women have been part of this lineage for thousands of years, and their story needs to be told.. His mother Manju Das was probably the most famous legendary Baul women to travel the world endlessly since 1962. I am busy writing the story of these women... Manju Das Baul passed away in Feb 2010..

THE TRUE STORY OF THE ONE AND ONLY LINEAGE OF BAULS OF BENGAL, BOOK RELEASE AFTER 30 YEARS COMING 2018.

PLEASE STAY TUNED. HOPEFULLY THIS WILL CLARIFY WHAT IS BAUL AND WHAT IS NOT? NEW BAUL SINGERS ARE CHANGING THE AUTHENTIC INTO MADE UP STORIES.

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This BLOG is the CREATION, including all writing done by TRISHULA SANDRA DAS, who am I? I am Babu Kishan's wife. I have recorded and lived his story for more than 12 years 24/7.

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Baul Scholar, of the Oldest Living Lineage of Bauls of Bengal

ancestor and lineage of Sri Nityananda of Ekkchaka West Bengal, and thousands of generations before.

This is the oldest living lineage of Baul on earth. Babukishan is the only Baul living in North America now residing between Mumbai and Vancouver Canada.

BA Indian Philosophy, Kolkata UniversityMA Indian Music, Kolkata University

"Master of Baul, Indian Classical, Indian Folk, Baul Fusion, World music and Indian Cinema Music"

Babu Kishan Das born 1962 in Suri, Birbhum, West Bengal, India into the legendary Nabani Das Baul's family and the Baul lineage of Sri Nityananda of Ekkchakra West Bengal in the 1500's, Sri Nityananda was a Baul this is recorded in the oral lineage and written lineage. This is the Baul lineage who introduced Baul to the world starting back in the1940's & 1950's, they are the pioneering family, if not for them no one would even know who the Bauls are? This lineage is the root of the Baul tradition. They opened the door for all future Bauls to carry on the Baul tradition around the world. This lineage and family has been performing on the biggest of world stages, festivals, lecturing at Universities, around the world for more than 60 years.

Babukishan is a Lineage Baul, music composer, music director from India, he was born into a family of music, poetry and Indian Philosophy, he has composed over 150 musical scores, and produced some 44 albums, He has composed and recorded most of his father's music.

In 2007 Babukishan was awarded a Lifetime Achievment award for his contribution to Indian Cinema.

Vaishnava Baul is an oral tradition, the stories are recorded in the songs. Babu is the eldest son of Purna Das Baul and the late Manju Dasi. Manju Dasi is the first Women Baul to travel the world starting back in the 1960's until the mid 2000's she traveled every corner of the globe and performed on every stage, her story is truly what legends are made of. Manju was an extremely talented musician, an HMV/EMI and Polydor artist. Manju was the first Female Baul (Baulini) and perhaps the only to date to be a"A class female Baul singer in India" she was the first Baul to introduce Harmonium to Baul, before her the Bauls did not use the harmonium. Manju was the first Baul to introduce official Lalon Fakir songs to Radio, TV, recordings and film.

Babukishan was traditionally trained in the oral tradition of his Baul lineage in Sanskrit, he learned this from his grandfather and others in his Baul family, learning by hearing and remembering, "this is the way it was done before books, it is called having the lineage passed to you orally, as in storytelling." As a inborn mystic and musician he started composing music, and writing poetry before he went to grade school.

Babu spent 12 years in the Ramakrishna Order as a Vedic Monk, where he learned book knowledge to go with his oral teachings. Babu says, "he does not trust books, they are fine but they leave out important information and are mostly personal opinion depending on the translators agenda."

It is a paradox, books are good, however, all of India's knowledge was an oral tradition where people dedicated their lives to keep, preserve, pass on and hold the spiritual knowledge of India within family lineages. Guru is the way but today there are very few qualified Guru's, or qualified disciples.

How can one trust a Guru there are so many taking advantage, Guru's are big business, making more money than any Bollywood star. He has seen his share of failed Bollywood actors ect.. turn to the Guru business. Commitment between Guru and disciple is endless and strong Unless one has a Guru books only give a small sample of the story, there are layers upon layers that are passed down Guru to Disciple.

The problem in finding a Guru is, you will be tested, the question should be, "Am I a disciple?" to be a disciple is a huge commitment. Most of us just want to have fun, feel good, and be God/intoxicated, unfortuatly the Guru/Disciple is not fun, or easy and is not a feel good experience all the time because you will be shown all those place that we avoid? Who wants to sit and do the work, the sadhana that is involved, most of us would just rather not.

Babukishan's Baul Guru's are "Baul Saint" Sri Nabani Das Kyappa Baul, Brajabala Dasi, Purna Das Baul, his aunt Radharani Dasi and many others from this lineage. Some of the other saints and guru's he had personal relationships and his favorites were Ananadamayi Ma, Sri Sitaramdas Omkarnath and many other unknown to the western world.

He has associate with many stories of others, like Balakbramhachari, Maha AnandaMaharaj, Sathya Sai Baba, Dhirndra Bramhacharya, Osho, Sant Nirankari, The Shankaracharya's of India, including many unknown in the West ...Baba's and Ma's because Babu started traveling India and being exposed to all first through his grandfather a wandering Avadhuta Baul Saint and then through his famous father Purna Das Baul traveling the world many times from age 10 on ward now for 40 years as a Cultural Representative of India.

His musical repertoire is like the who is who of Indian music from lineage teachers of Indian music, and the best coming out of Bengal to the best of Indian Cinema or (Bollywood.)

BabuKishan is probably one of the very few living authentic authorities alive today regarding the Bauls. He is starting to speak now because he is seeing a prolific amount of mis-information on Baul by the many scholars, PhDs, new Bauls singers and writers who are lacking information in what the authentic Baul lineage is really about. Each day he see's another story or more speculation on who the Bauls are, it is almost becoming a joke.

Nabani Das Baul his grandfather named Babukishan, "Krishnendu" he kept Babu the moment he was born, with massage and Ayurveda he was able to straighten tiny Krishnendu's crooked limbs. Krishnendu was his Baby Krishna and he took his Krishna everywhere with him, as he wandered India. Babu spent the first 8 years of his life in the highest of spiritual energies and his grandfather left him a huge spark of himself when he passed away.

Baul really started to change over the past 30 years with the influx of foreigners, hippies, Bangladesh refugee's into Shantiniketan. Many refugee's and others who saw being a Baul as a way to earn a living started to turn Baul into begging and a great way to make a living without doing sadhana, dress the part, sing a folk song, being a Baul became a great way to survive. Baul's were offered Dakshina as Guru's and spiritual messengers. Today they deserve to be paid appropriately for the grace and musical skill they bring, Bauls should not be used or asked to perform for free when the world has changed, so should how we treat the Bauls change.

It also is the fault of his own lineage but you can not blame them as Bauls have always been used and marginalized. Bauls do not share openly, and times have changed, the correct information on lineage Baul needs to be passed on as accurately as possible or it will be gone forever, and Baul will just be a tourist attraction. Being from North America it reminds me of the rich culture of the North American idigenous people and how their shamanic traditions, are also suffering the same fate.

Baul is a "Guru" based tradition, oral living lineage tradition, the lineages were passed down in familes this is common knowledge in India. This is how Baul was passed from father to son, mother to daughter, however, Bauls always included all and it was not uncommon for a Baul to take someone into their family.

There is a huge misunderstanding on what Baul is because there were in the past many people wandering through Bengal when the first writers started to speculate about the nature of Baul. They lumped all these wandering souls together under one umbrella calling them all Bauls but in fact very few of them were actually Bauls. Fakir, Sai, Aula, Dervish, Shah actually are not Baul. Only a Lineage Baul knows exactly what a Baul is, not a scholar or a new Baul singer, the account of Baul history comes from "inside" the tradition not from "outside" the tradition or from speculation. Speculation about the Bauls has gone on from the beginning of time and it continues today, all one outside the tradition can do it but speculate. Scholars from outside the tradtion can only speculate.

Baul songs are not folk songs, they are spiritual sadhana's and one must complete difficult sadhana's before one can call oneself a Baul. There is a misconception that singing folk songs on a train or on a street is Baul.. Baul is a difficult sadhana learned under a Guru for years and years or perhaps a whole lifetime. There is no I am initiated ... the initiation into Baul goes on for a lifetime.

Baul is about the SOUL, pure LOVE, Monar Manush as in ecstatic union with the divine in the highest of loves, the love between Krishna and Radha as soul mates. Bauls do not worship the body for mundane purposes. The body is worshiped as the temple for the divine, the soul is situated in the human heart, Radha and Krishna live in the "altar of the heart with the soul in the human body."

Vaishnava Bauls are the original Das and Dasi, Gosai, (Goswami) lineage in West Bengal India. They have been singing the Hare Krishna Mahamantra for thousands of years wandering from village to village, as the morning wake up call to the people of the villages, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna... Bauls believe in Monar Manush in soul mates. Krishna's flute is always calling Radhe ..Radhe..Radhe and because of Radha's connection to Krishna and their love for each other Radha and Krishna are the original soul mates. Bauls know all the philosophical arguments, they are Indian philosophers, they just have a rare take on all the pedantic othodox bantering.

Love and Devotion, Traditional Bhakti Yoga, Kirtan, ecstatic song and dance. Bauls are natural, spontaneous Bhakti Yogi's, Poets and Philosophers. The soul is not in the temple the soul is in the human body residing in the heart. Bauls do not believe in caste, creed, they believe in the Soul. Ask your soul?? the body will lie, the mind will lie but the soul will tell you the truth.

Most of the people writing about Babu's lineage either cut and paste from internet or are talking to the wrong Bauls and new Bauls singers who are not trying to preserve the lineage they just want to travel, or create something new. At this point The Bauls of Bengal are almost extinct and it is time to preserve what is real it is not a time to make it up. Perhaps the New Bauls are saying they want to preserve Baul however, how can you preserve something you do not own. A gift is given by the owner of the gift, as in Sampradaya, or lineage. If the gift has not been given by a lineage Baul how can something that you do not own or have be given to other.

That respect also should also include who wrote the songs that Bauls are singing? Most do not even know where the songs came from, who wrote the songs.. they do not even know the history of Baul.That love and respect include acknowledging the Baul Guru's of the past as in Nabani Das Khyappa Baul and those who walked before him. One by one we will be writing about each and every Baul back to Sri Nityananada and beyond.

Most teachers passing on Baul are only passing on the limited information that they have picked up here and there. I am a researcher and I ask Babu who is this, who is that, this Baul is saying this person is their Guru, who is that, and he knows the whole history of who everybody is, where they came from, how they got involved in Baul, he knows what songs they are singing, who wrote the song, and more importantly whether it is a folk song, a Baul song and sometimes they are even singing Bollywood songs?

These neo Bauls today are just making a mess of what Baul is, they lack sadhana and the god intoxication the energy that come from doing Baul Sadhana. Baul is not about singing folk songs it is sadhana, years and years of sadhana. Babu has been preserving his lineage for 40 years and has seen it all. The most recent wave is that Baul is only about sufi, or that Baul orginates in Bangladesh and Persia? Baul is about neo tantric sex and smoking ganja?

Baul has become just one big regular party, the few real authentic Bauls are not to be seen or will not share anything.

It is not easy to be a Baul, it takes at least 12 years 24/7 under a guru. Not too long ago there used to be 22 Baul ashrams now there are only 2. Bauls do not build temples, raise money for temples, or collect devotee's as in orthodox religions.

Babu's family has been singing to help out so many groups, and temples ect.. helping fund raise money for their causes, giving free performances for years and years.

Now the Bauls need help, I pray these groups will also come to the assistance of the Bauls through the Ektara Foundation. We are now fund raising to preserve this lineage, through the Ektara Foundation and the Bhava project (Baul Historical Ashram and Vedic Academy).

The real authentic Bauls are in deep danger of extinction. The poor Baul children need education, food, medicine and we want to pass on this tradition properly to them so at least they can preserve and have right livelyhood. This is our seva, more information to come, please stay tuned. We are in the beginning phases of setting this up, it will under Babukishan's name with a board of directors.

Babukishan under the name Krishnendu Das is the author of 3 books on Baul printed in the 1980's to be republished and expanded soon. George Harrison and Ravi Shankar helped him publish his last book in 1986, all to be republished soon.

Babu was raised in the village by his grandparents"Baul Saint Sri Nabani Das Khyappa Baul and Brajobala Dasi." Babu lived a lucid life in the highest of spiritual energy, and was initiated by most of the Saints, Sadhu's, Siddha's, Guru's, Yogi's, Tantrics, Nath's, Avadhuta's, that lived during the 60's, & 70's,80's, 90's, most who have left this earth long ago and many who are completely unknown outside of India.

Nabani Das Baul was an accomplished "exalted Tantric Avadhuta Baul Saint" accomplished in the Bhakti Sadhana's of Krishna and and Avadhuta Sadhana's of Shiva and Kali (Tara Ma) he was a famed Baul Guru Poet who millions of people came to see from all over India, he is also one of the Guru's who little has been written about because his nature was to keep private.

Nabani Das Baul inspired everyone from Rabindranath Tagore to "American Poet Allen Ginsberg who claims Nabani as his guru, he inspired common people to the highest intellectuals. Nabani Das Baul was the first and last Guru to teach Baul philosophy at Rabindranath Tagore Vishva Bhartai University in Shantineketan and was Rabindranath's Baul. Tagore gave Nabani Das the name "Khyappa" he was the first Baul to be called this now many are calling themselves this name. Nabani gave Tagore the name Robi (Ravi) Baul.

You can hear all the Bauls singing Nabani's compositions, however, you will not hear them acknowledge his songs, in the 70's new Baul singers arose who were jealous of Purna Das Baul and his fame as millions would come and see him, some even tried to kill him by poisoning him almost to death, this started a movement away from the truths of the lineage, new Bauls were creating new stories and promoting that Baul is about neo tantric sex and creating new lineages that did not exist before?

Babu is a poet, composing an unlimited amount of poetry from standard 1 onward. His poetry was published in all Bengali magazines under his name Krishnendu and pseudo names for years. He was known as a great romantic poet who attracted untold attention at a very early age. He is first Baul to compose Fusion Music, His compostitions made it easier for other Bauls to experiement.

As a composer Babu has worked with all the top Indian musicians, singers, and legendary Indian music guru's. He spent 13 years with RD Burman in Mumbai. Total 30 years in Indian Cinema composing Bollywood music, meeting all of the Bollywood legends, promoting Bollywood singers, again promoting others, and completely forgetting to promote himself. Babu worked behind the scenes and is the most well know person behind the scenes in Bollywood. This is a book in and of itself.

Babu Kishan is a unique intangible masterpiece of Bengali History, he is a rare gem, multi talented and an ocean beyond ocean of knowledge. He is the encyclopedia of Bengali, Bollywood, Indian Philosophy, Indian history with a photographic memory. A yogi who believes one must be in the world and not of the world. Times are changing fast! A Baul is for the world, and has an important message of peace, and unity.

by Trishula Sandra Das, his wife, supporter, and Baul transcriber for over twelve years 24/7 !

Babu Kishan (The Bauls of Bengal) - After clicking, Video appears, top right hand corner of blog.

EKTARA Foundation is a Non profit Organization for the preservation and translation of their songs and practices. This one and only ancient Oral living lineage of The Bauls of Birbhum Bengal under the Direction of Krishnendu Das Baul aka Babukishan. Baul is already preserved and was recorded decades ago. Now we need to translate and protect. How else would the new Bauls be singing the songs if they were not recorded and this has proved a great problem because most new Baul singers do not know the poets and are making up stories, watering down and reducing this lineage so that they may attain fame.

Baul should only be preserved by Lineage Baul, there are many copying what we are doing. All of sudden fake lineages are coming out of the woodwork and they say they are fundraising in the name of Baul. There is only one lineage of Baul, the rest are making up stories, use your discernment.

Babukishan is the only one representing his lineage, not his brothers nor his 84 year old father these days. Please use your discernment when supporting someone who says they are a lineage Baul or preserving Baul and know Baul is already preserved by this the only Lineage of Baul. We started this project back in 2008 and Babu started preserving his dear Baul back in the 1970's.

"BAUL Historical Ashram & Vedic Academy" BHAVA"

(Preserving a traditional authentic Living Baul Lineage of Bengal India)

International Baul Ashram

Most new Baul singers are singing regular Folk Songs, there needs to be a place to education and Baul Sadhana a place for philosophical discourse... They also need a place to perform, to survive in this world, they need education, medical care, and food. They need hope, there is too much poverty, they need a solid ground to stand on in this changing world.

This was Babu's dream years ago but due to difficult family karmas he was not able to complete this now is the time for a Baul ashram in Santinekatan, and one outside of India. This is our Cause, so that the Bauls are given a chance at an authentic education.

BabuKisha has been traveling, preserving, promoting his "only" Lineage Baul for more than 40 Years.

www.babukishan.org Krishnendu Das Baul, aka Babu Kishan, is from an Authentic Oral Living Lineage Vaishnava Baul Lineage. The Lineage Bauls are from Bengal, and are Vaishnava, they always have the name "Das or Dasi" in their name, actually a Das or Dasi Baul is always Vaishnava first. The Bauls, who are Fakir, Aul, or Sai, Dervesh, are "Bauls of Bangladesh", they align themselves with the great poet of Bangladesh," Lalon Fakir, who originates from the 1800's.."whom the Bauls of Bengal also love. Lalon Fakir was born a Hindu, but was taken in by a muslim family. The difference is in that the Lineage Bauls have been around for thousands of years, and although they embrace pearls of Buddhism, and Sufi.Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare || Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare || हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे || हरे राम हरे राम राम राम हरे हरे||

K D Babukishan's beloved Grandpa Guru Baul Saint Avadhuta Sri Nabani Das Khyappa Baul, the Name Khyappa was given to Nabani Das by Rabindranath Tagore, Nabani was Tagore's Baul Guru and he named Tagore Robi (Ravi) Baul. Nabani Das Khyappa Baul is the first Baul to be called Khyappa Baul, now many are following in his footsteps and calling themselves Khyappa. Tagore also took pictures of Nabani and had a stature made in his honour. He is the first and last Baul to teach at Tagore's university in Shantinekitan... When Tagore is talking about Baul it is Nabani Das he is talking about...Nabani never wanted to be found or known... He was a real sadhaka..Some say Bauls are beggars but this is not true.. they do not have temples nor do they collect devotee's... Bauls are free, free birds, they believe and worship Radha and Krishna in the soul... They worship the soul, the most high, they are God intoxicated, it is wrong when one says they worship only he body..The Body is the temple, the soul is inside the body..The voice is the insturment, music is the way..Baul songs, Baul kirtan, Bhajanas, mantra, bija mantras, Bauls are the original Hare Krishna singers and dancers of West Bengal India..

Sri Nabani Das Khyappa Baul & his wife Brojabala Dasi, Babu's grandparents & Guru, these are the true lineage of Baul...Das Gosai, they are Brahmin caste, even though Baul is said to not have caste, however, the lineage bauls are brahmin, that is why they speak sanskrit, but they do not show it.. Nabani Das took the Gosai part off of his name because he never wanted anybody would touch his feet..Touch your own feet, bow to the divine within yourself.

"Baul Saint Guru Sri Nabani Das Khyappa Baul" Wandering exalted Avadhuta Baul - Bauls are poets, philosophers, they spoke sanskrit, this is how they passed along the oral tradition for thousands of years, then singing the songs in Bengali to the people of the villages. They have roots, deep roots in the soil of Indian philosophy from the soil of Bengali. Maybe the new age Baul singers do not have roots but the lineage Bauls have thousands of year of deep roots recorded in their songs.

Legendary Brajabala Dasi My Guru!

Babu Kishan's beloved Grandma (GURU) Brajabala Dasi, JAI GURU!!!! NAMAH NAMAH!!!! Babu says, he is lucky to have been born, to have grown up around the original lineage Vaishnava Bauls and Baul Saints in a very Spiritual atmosphere, this does not exist anymore. There are very few if any authentic Bauls left, they are extinct in the oral tradition and this is the only Lineage of Bauls there is no other, there never was. The women Bauls in my family including my grandmother Brajabala Dasi, my Aunts and my mother Manju Dasi, my Great Aunts Phulorani Dasi ,Radharani Dasi, Chintamoni Dasi, Triguna Dasi, were real sadhika's, similar to Mira Bai Sadhana, it is not easy, they are very rare, and the last Baulini's, they do not exist today." .... Rabindranath Tagore said, Nabani Das Baul is the last real Baul."Tagore said Nabani was a "Baul Saint." This Golden time is gone, now all we can do is follow them. There is no such thing as a legendary Baul today.. Even my mother Manju Dasi was a legendary as she traveled the world for 50 years..Today people try to be real but it they can not even compare to the lives of these women and who they were, all we can do is try to follow them. Their stories will be told these amazing women Bauls, Gosai Dasi Baulinin Women..

Birbhum West Bengal the soil of Mystic Baul Lineage

Babukishan in Haridwar India

Babukishan at the Vedanta Society in Los Angeles, he was a Vedic Monk Ramakrishna Order for12years

Vedic Monk for 12 years in Kolkata, BA Indian Philosophy, MA Indian Music Kolkata University.

A typical Baul village in Birbhum West Bengal

Bauls of West Bengal

Babu's Baul Logo

Tribal women from Bengal

Radhabinode Temple in Kenduli Birbhum the Bauls have a mela here called the Jayadev Mela.

The Bauls hold the Gita Govinda of Jayadeva in high esteem whether he is form Orissa or not.

Babukishan produced CD in honor of Sai Baba.

The last book Babu published in 1986

Laxshman Das Baul

Babukishan aka Krishnendu Das Baul making Ektara's

Bauls at the Big Pink in Woodstock 1967, the photo is Nabani Das Baul

Sri Chaitanya and Sri Nityananda who was a Baul

Baul of Bengal Stamp

Nabani Das Khyeppa Baul

Manju Das, Purna Das and Babu @ UCLA 80's

Babukishan Laguna Beach California 2008

The Mystic Bhakti of a Living Master.

Babukishan in Rishikes @ Sitaram Omkarnathji's ashram 2007.

Bengal Baul music with Purna Das Baul and others.

Purna Das Baul, Manju Dasi, Krishnendu Das Baul aka Babukishan

Sri SitaRam Das Omkar Naths Ashram in Rishikesh

Krishna lives in the heart of the Baul, they worship Krishna in a inner natural way. There love of Krishna is a God intoxicated Love, they are the original Hare Krishna Maha Mantra singers, and dancers, the original Das, & Dasi, of West Bengal. They are Rasa Lila Mystics. Monar Manush, soul mates..

Babu with his Khol in Hyde Park before concert at Royal Albert Hall

Babu Kishan @ The Roundhouse 2009 Vancouver

Nabani Das Khyappa Baul phot by Rabindranath Tagore.

SitaRam Das Omkar Nath ashram outside of Rishikesh

Babu with George Harrison who published Babu's book.. The Bauls of Bengal 1985

Krishna turns himself into Kali because Radha's husband is wondering where she is going, he see's her as worshipping kali for the family.. If Kali is Ok for Krishna to turn himself into, and for Radha to worship she is good enough for everybody.. The Bauls worship Kali also.

Babu's tradition Baul album called Gypsy Indian

Bauls do not like male power trippers, rules & regulations, but that does not mean they do not know the rules of the universe. They understand ayurveda, the science of life, the science of life, the principles of yoga, and all things Indian, they are not Pedantic.

Babu's book published under his name Krishnendu Das , Babu has been preserving his lineage for 40 years now, if it were not for Babu, nobody would know about the Bauls of Bengal..

Sri Nityananada .. was a Baul, if you notice he always has hair, there are songs in the oral tradition that verify this.. He is from Babu's lineage of the original Hare Krishna singers and dancers, he met Sri Chaitanya first and was his best friend, he gave the Maha mantra to Chaitanya and taught him how to chant and dance... this has been the Baul way for thousands of years...it was a part of Nityananda's life from birth. History has been distorted, and stories retold because of ambitious new age Vaishnava reformers, Jai Nitai... Nityananada was a Baul.

Beloved Sai Baba, he was very similar to Baul in that he embraced everyone. Babu feels his grandfather in Sai Baba

Baul fusion, Mystic Sacred Song, Soul Mat by Universal

Babu in Rishikesh 2007 at the SitaRam Das Omkarnath Ashram

Babu at Pous Mela.. Pous Mela in Shantinekatan was created by Rabindranath Tagore in honor of Babu's grandfather Sri Nabani Das Baul. People come from all over the world to attend this Mela.

Tara Ma Tarapith Ma, Shyama Ma,

Kolkata, West Bengal

In the villiage where Babu is from they had a huge Ratha Yatra cart, they worshiped Jaganatha, next to the Jaganatha temple was a Kali temple.. they embraced both.. Baul loves all.

Dakinishwar Temple outside of Kolkata, West Bengal.

Vaishnava Bauls have worshiped Radha/Krishna for 5000 years since the beginning of the story, this particular lineage is the lineage of the Great Baul Avadhuta Saint, Sri Nityananada Mahaprabu Baul, the untold story, Nityananda was a Baul, the history of this is recorded in the songs of the Baul oral living lineage, Jai Nitai, this lineage is the original lineage of Das, and Dasi..

Babu with the Khol, his mother Manju Das, father, 2 brothers, many years ago.

Babu Kishan's Guru, Baul Saint, Avadhuta Sri Nabani Das Khyappa Baul, photo taken by Rabindranath Tagore who was a very close associate of Nabani, he created the Pous Mela in honor of Nabani Das, and there is a bridge there he also named in honor of him, called Nabani Setu. Rabindranath gave Nabani the name Khyappa Baul, Nabani influenced alot or Rabindranath's poetry, Nabani gave him the name Ravi Baul..

2007 Ali Akbar's birthday party, Babu and Zakir Hussain, Babu has know him and his brothers since he was a kid..

Nick Jagger of the Rolling Stones beside Babu's father Purna Das Baul, and little Babu in 1971, he would have been about 9 years old.. They were staying at Mick's place in Nice France recording an album. Babu's father did not really know who Mick Jagger was, he was just a distracting dancing man to him, they were guests of Mick Jagger's, and had come by arrangement of Mick Jaggers manager, after the fundraising concert for Bangladesh that was held in London. When they came a limousine picked them up, the driver was Mick Jagger.

Sri SitaRam Das Omkar Nath, whom Babu loved. He was intitiated by him, and still wear the Ram Shawl given to him by Sita Ram Das Omkarnath, Babu always say what a beautiful smile he had, and that he spent 30 years in caves, he was a Saint..

Babu, and George Harrison 1985, George along with Ravi Shankar assisted Babu in the republishing of Babu's book, The Bauls of Bengal

Babu, Sufi Books New York 2004

Ekchakra West Bengal.. the Birthplace of Babu's ancestor and Vaishnava Baul of Bengal 500 years ago, Sri Nityananda Mahaprabhu Baul, not only that his Aunt Radharani Dasi Baul married the Ekchakra Temples Pujari's son.. Gopal Das Baul the first Baul to incorporate the Dotara into Baul

Bhakti Fest 2010, Joshua Tree California

Sri Saraswati, from Durga Puja Pandal in Powai Mumbai Durga Puja 2008

Rare photo of Kali Ma taken by Babu Kishan can also be viewed on www.trishuladas.com

Babukishan aka Krishnendu Das Baul in Rishikesh

Babukshan in Vancouer

Babu Kishan's guru Nabani Das Baul

A Baul singer with Ektara

Ananda Lahari

The temple wall of the Radhabinode Temple, where Jayadeva wrote the Gita Govinda

Jayadeva was born in Orissa but wrote the Gita Govinda here. The Bauls being poets hold Jayadeva in high esteem.

Durga Puja Calgary Canada

Lineage Baul friend Kali Dasgupta

SD Burman loved Nabani Das Baul's music

Lineage Baul Nabani Das Baul, Purna Das Baul and Babukishan,

Lineage Bauls instruments from Babu's family.

The Bauls of Bengal Album recorded in 1967 in America

Bauls of Bengal, Young Purna Das and Laxshman Das Baul

Mirror of the Sky... Babu and George Harrison who helped produce Babu's book Bauls of Bengal 1985

Babukishan @ Sitaramdas Omkarnath Thakurs ashram in Rishikesh 2007

Ecsatic Baul

Bob Dylan's album, John Westly Harding, Babu Kishans, father on the right..and his Uncle Laxshman Das Baul on Left.. and of course Bob Dylan in the middle..

For thousands of years the Bauls instrument of Peace is the Ektara or Gopi Chand, and the Kamak or Ananda Lahari, (Mystic Drum)

Babu at the Bowery Poetry Club in New York with David Amram Master NY music conductor, and New York's top musicians

Lineage Baul's roots are DEEP, in the soil of Bengal, their roots are DEEP reaching to heaven, pulling heaven to earth..Radha and Krishna are enshrined in the alter of their heart, that is why they do not have temples.... the deities are installed in their heart..in their soul.. They believe in soul.

Baul in Newport Beach California

Babukishan with his Baba and Ma!

Sri Sitaram Omkarnath's ashram 2007 Rishikesh

Babu and Sultan Khan one of the best Sarangi players, performing together at the Royal Albert Hall 80's sitting together in the Royal Albert Hall green room.

Some Albums by Babukishan

Press in Mumbai re: Babukishan

Babu with the Baul insturment of Peace.. Ektara.. San Diego 2003

Ektara, the Vaishnava Baul symbol for peace.

Babu and the great Master, Ali Akbar Khan whom Babu has knew since childhood.

Ravi Shankar and Babu, he is a family friend, Babu has known him since his childhood.

Mirror of the sky produced by Babukishan, the name, " MIRROR OF THE SKY" is a name Rabindranath Tagore gave Babu's grandfather, Sri Nabani Das Khyappa Baul, he also gave him the name Khyappa, before this no Baul was ever called Khyappa Baul, now today we see everybody calling themselves Kyappa Baul.

Babu and Trishula in Vrindavan India 2007

The roots of Baul are deep, and also include wisdom from Buddhism..They accept all roots coming out of India. The Vaishnava Baul's have the deepest roots compared to any other branches of Baul..

Krishnendu Das Baul aka Babukishan in the 80's Energetic fire..

RabindraNath Tagore who was closely associated with Babu's grandfather Nabani Das Baul, Nabani gave Rabindranath the name Robi (Ravi Baul)

Al Aronowitz, the Blacklisted Journalist who introduced Bob Dylan to the Beattles. RIP 2005. Father of Rock and Roll Journalism, Rolling Stones, Washington Post, New York Times Village Voice..

2008 article from the Times of India

Babu's long association with the Rolling Stones, here in Mumbai, he first met Mick Jagger in 1971 at Mick's estate in Nice France.

Babu and long time friend Sally Grossman who started the Baul Archive, the interviews are mostly with Baul singers, not much lineage Baul there.. The man in the background is the legendary Albert B Grossman, who was Sally's husband and Manager to Bob Dylan

Babukishan and long time old friend Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones

American Poet Allen Ginsberg in New York, Allen met Babu's grandfather back in the early 60's, Nabani Das Baul was Allen's Guru..

Radha lives in the heart of the Baul, she is seen as supreme because she has pulling power, without Radha there is no krishna!

The great God intoxicated Saint, devotee of Kali Ma, Ramakrishna, and his devotee the Great India Swami Vikekananda, who started the Vedanta Society.. Babu spent 12 years here as a Vedic monk in Kolkata.

Babu has written lyric for and composed music for, producing over 44 albums. This one in honor of Kali ma